In world geography and current affairs for competitive exams, what is the capital city of the East European country Belarus?

Introduction / Context:
Capital cities are among the most basic yet frequently asked facts in general knowledge examinations. Belarus is an East European country that often appears in news related to regional politics and international relations. Knowing the capital of Belarus helps strengthen your grasp of European geography and improves your ability to follow global events.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question asks for the capital city of Belarus.
- The options include Praia, Minsk, Cairo, Vienna and Warsaw.
- We assume Belarus is understood to be an independent country in Eastern Europe, not part of any other union in this context.

Concept / Approach:
The fundamental concept is memorising country capital pairs. An efficient approach is to associate Belarus with Minsk by using mental mapping or simple mnemonics. Eliminating obviously mismatched options, such as capitals known to belong to other countries, also helps. For example, Cairo is the capital of Egypt, Vienna of Austria, Warsaw of Poland and Praia of Cape Verde, leaving Minsk as the only correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Belarus is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordering nations like Poland and Russia. Step 2: Remember that international news and sports coverage often mention Minsk as the capital of Belarus. Step 3: Identify Minsk among the options as a city name that you associate with Belarus. Step 4: Recognise that Praia is the capital of Cape Verde, Cairo is the capital of Egypt, Vienna is the capital of Austria and Warsaw is the capital of Poland. Step 5: After eliminating these known capitals of other countries, confidently select Minsk as the answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can think of past international events or agreements hosted in Minsk, sometimes referred to in media as the Minsk agreements. These relate to negotiations on Eastern European conflicts and confirm that Minsk holds a significant diplomatic role as the capital of Belarus. Since none of the other cities have this association with Belarus, this mental cross check supports your choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Praia is the capital of Cape Verde, an island nation off the west coast of Africa, not an East European country.
Cairo is the capital of Egypt in North Africa and has no connection with Belarus as a capital city.
Vienna is the capital of Austria in Central Europe and is distinct from Belarus in both history and geography.
Warsaw serves as the capital of Poland, a neighbour of Belarus, which may cause confusion, but it is not the capital of Belarus itself.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates confuse Poland and Belarus and mistakenly choose Warsaw because they know it is located in the same general region. Others are unfamiliar with Praia and may guess randomly. To avoid such pitfalls, invest time in learning and revising country capital pairs, perhaps grouped by region. Repeated exposure through maps, quizzes and news updates will make names like Minsk feel familiar and easy to recall under exam pressure.

Final Answer:
The capital city of Belarus is Minsk.